May
8th 2
Kings 18 E. The Decline and Captivity of Judah
Hezekiah King of Judah
Hezekiah King of Judah
1: Now it came to
pass in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that
Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign. 2: Twenty and
five years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty
and nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Abi, the
daughter of Zachariah. 3: And he did that which was right in the
sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father did. 4: He
removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the
groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made:
for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it:
and he called it Nehushtan. 5: He trusted in the LORD God of Israel;
so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor
any that were before him. 6: For he clave to the LORD, and departed
not from following him, but kept his commandments, which the LORD
commanded Moses. 7: And the LORD was with him; and he prospered
whithersoever he went forth: and he rebelled against the king of
Assyria, and served him not. 8: He smote the Philistines, even unto
Gaza, and the borders thereof, from the tower of the watchmen to the
fenced city. 9: And it came to pass in the fourth year of king
Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of
Israel, that Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria, and
besieged it. 10: And at the end of three years they took it: even in
the sixth year of Hezekiah, that is the ninth year of Hoshea king of
Israel, Samaria was taken. 11: And the king of Assyria did carry away
Israel unto Assyria, and put them in Halah and in Habor by the river
of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes: 12: Because they obeyed not
the voice of the LORD their God, but transgressed his covenant, and
all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded, and would not hear
them, nor do them.
Sennacherib
threatens Jerusalem
13: Now in the
fourteenth year of king Hezekiah did Sennacherib king of Assyria come
up against all the fenced cities of Judah, and took them. 14: And
Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria to Lachish,
saying, I have offended; return from me: that which thou puttest on
me will I bear. And the king of Assyria appointed unto Hezekiah king
of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.
15: And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house
of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king's house. 16: At that
time did Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the temple of
the LORD, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had
overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria. 17: And the king of
Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris and Rab-shakeh from Lachish to king
Hezekiah with a great host against Jerusalem. And they went up and
came to Jerusalem. And when they were come up, they came and stood by
the conduit of the upper pool, which is in the highway of the
fuller's field. 18: And when they had called to the king, there came
out to them Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, which was over the household,
and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder. 19:
And Rab-shakeh said unto them, Speak ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith
the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein
thou trustest? 20: Thou sayest, (but they are but vain words,) I have
counsel and strength for the war. Now on whom dost thou trust, that
thou rebellest against me? 21: Now, behold, thou trustest upon the
staff of this bruised reed, even upon Egypt, on which if a man lean,
it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt
unto all that trust on him. 22: But if ye say unto me, We trust in
the LORD our God: is not that he, whose high places and whose altars
Hezekiah hath taken away, and hath said to Judah and Jerusalem, Ye
shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem? 23: Now therefore, I
pray thee, give pledges to my lord the king of Assyria, and I will
deliver thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set
riders upon them. 24: How then wilt thou turn away the face of one
captain of the least of my master's servants, and put thy trust on
Egypt for chariots and for horsemen? 25: Am I now come up without the
LORD against this place to destroy it? The LORD said to me, Go up
against this land, and destroy it. 26: Then said Eliakim the son of
Hilkiah, and Shebna, and Joah, unto Rab-shakeh, Speak, I pray thee,
to thy servants in the Syrian language; for we understand it: and
talk not with us in the Jews' language in the ears of the people that
are on the wall. 27: But Rab-shakeh said unto them, Hath my master
sent me to thy master, and to thee, to speak these words? hath he not
sent me to the men which sit on the wall, that they may eat their own
dung, and drink their own piss with you. 28: Then Rab-shakeh stood
and cried with a loud voice in the Jews' language, and spake, saying,
Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria: 29: Thus saith
the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to
deliver you out of his hand: 30: Neither let Hezekiah make you trust
in the LORD, saying, The LORD will surely deliver us, and this city
shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria. 31:
Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make an
agreement with me by a present, and come out to me, and then eat ye
every man of his own vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink
ye every one the waters of his cistern: 32: Until I come and take you
away to a land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of
bread and vineyards, a land of oil olive and of honey, that ye may
live, and not die: and hearken not unto Hezekiah, when he persuadeth
you, saying, The LORD will deliver us. 33: Hath any of the gods of
the nations delivered at all his land out of the hand of the king of
Assyria? 34: Where are the gods of Hamath, and of Arpad? where are
the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? have they delivered Samaria
out of mine hand? 35: Who are they among all the gods of the
countries, that have delivered their country out of mine hand, that
the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of mine hand? 36: But the
people held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king's
commandment was, saying, Answer him not. 37: Then came Eliakim the
son of Hilkiah, which was over the household, and Shebna the scribe,
and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder, to Hezekiah with their
clothes rent, and told him the words of Rab-shakeh.
2
Kings 19 Isaiah reassures Hezekiah
1: And it came to
pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and
covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the LORD.
2: And he sent Eliakim, which was over the household, and Shebna the
scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to
Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz. 3: And they said unto him, Thus
saith Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and
blasphemy: for the children are come to the birth, and there is not
strength to bring forth. 4: It may be the LORD thy God will hear all
the words of Rab-shakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath
sent to reproach the living God; and will reprove the words which the
LORD thy God hath heard: wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant
that are left. 5: So the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah. 6:
And Isaiah said unto them, Thus shall ye say to your master, Thus
saith the LORD, Be not afraid of the words which thou hast heard,
with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. 7:
Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumour, and
shall return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the
sword in his own land.
Sennacherib
comes again
8: So Rab-shakeh
returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah: for
he had heard that he was departed from Lachish. 9: And when he heard
say of Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, Behold, he is come out to fight
against thee: he sent messengers again unto Hezekiah, saying, 10:
Thus shall ye speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying, Let not thy
God in whom thou trustest deceive thee, saying, Jerusalem shall not
be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria. 11: Behold, thou
hast heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, by
destroying them utterly: and shalt thou be delivered? 12: Have the
gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed;
as Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden which were
in Thelasar? 13: Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad,
and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivah? 14: And
Hezekiah received the letter of the hand of the messengers, and read
it: and Hezekiah went up into the house of the LORD, and spread it
before the LORD. 15: And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD, and said, O
LORD God of Israel, which dwellest between the cherubims, thou art
the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth: thou hast
made heaven and earth. 16: LORD, bow down thine ear, and hear: open,
LORD, thine eyes, and see: and hear the words of Sennacherib, which
hath sent him to reproach the living God. 17: Of a truth, LORD, the
kings of Assyria have destroyed the nations and their lands, 18: And
have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the
work of men's hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed
them. 19: Now therefore, O LORD our God, I beseech thee, save thou us
out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that
thou art the LORD God, even thou only.
Isaiah
reassures Hezekiah again
20: Then Isaiah the
son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD God of
Israel, That which thou hast prayed to me against Sennacherib king of
Assyria I have heard. 21: This is the word that the LORD hath spoken
concerning him; The virgin the daughter of Zion hath despised thee,
and laughed thee to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her
head at thee. 22: Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? and
against whom hast thou exalted thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes on
high? even against the Holy One of Israel. 23: By the messengers thou
hast reproached the Lord, and hast said, With the multitude of my
chariots I am come up to the height of the mountains, to the sides of
Lebanon, and will cut down the tall cedar trees thereof, and the
choice fir trees thereof: and I will enter into the lodgings of his
borders, and into the forest of his Carmel. 24: I have digged and
drunk strange waters, and with the sole of my feet have I dried up
all the rivers of besieged places. 25: Hast thou not heard long ago
how I have done it, and of ancient times that I have formed it? now
have I brought it to pass, that thou shouldest be to lay waste fenced
cities into ruinous heaps. 26: Therefore their inhabitants were of
small power, they were dismayed and confounded; they were as the
grass of the field, and as the green herb, as the grass on the
housetops, and as corn blasted before it be grown up. 27: But I know
thy abode, and thy going out, and thy coming in, and thy rage against
me. 28: Because thy rage against me and thy tumult is come up into
mine ears, therefore I will put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in
thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest.
29: And this shall be a sign unto thee, Ye shall eat this year such
things as grow of themselves, and in the second year that which
springeth of the same; and in the third year sow ye, and reap, and
plant vineyards, and eat the fruits thereof. 30: And the remnant that
is escaped of the house of Judah shall yet again take root downward,
and bear fruit upward. 31: For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a
remnant, and they that escape out of mount Zion: the zeal of the LORD
of hosts shall do this. 32: Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning
the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an
arrow there, nor come before it with shield, nor cast a bank against
it. 33: By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and
shall not come into this city, saith the LORD. 34: For I will defend
this city, to save it, for mine own sake, and for my servant David's
sake. 35: And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the LORD
went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore
and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold,
they were all dead corpses. 36: So Sennacherib king of Assyria
departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh. 37: And it
came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god,
that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword: and
they escaped into the land of Armenia. And Esar-haddon his son
reigned in his stead.
2
Kings 20 Hezekiah is sick
1: In those days
was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz
came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house
in order; for thou shalt die, and not live. 2: Then he turned his
face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, saying, 3: I beseech
thee, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and
with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight.
And Hezekiah wept sore. 4: And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone
out into the middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him,
saying, 5: Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people,
Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy
prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third
day thou shalt go up unto the house of the LORD. 6: And I will add
unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city
out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city
for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake. 7: And Isaiah
said, Take a lump of figs. And they took and laid it on the boil, and
he recovered. 8: And Hezekiah said unto Isaiah, What shall be the
sign that the LORD will heal me, and that I shall go up into the
house of the LORD the third day? 9: And Isaiah said, This sign shalt
thou have of the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing that he hath
spoken: shall the shadow go forth ten degrees, or go back ten
degrees? 10: And Hezekiah answered, It is a light thing for the
shadow to go down ten degrees: nay, but let the shadow return
backward ten degrees. 11: And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the LORD:
and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone
down in the dial of Ahaz.
Hezekiah
displays his wealth
12: At that time
Berodach-baladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters
and a present unto Hezekiah: for he had heard that Hezekiah had been
sick. 13: And Hezekiah hearkened unto them, and shewed them all the
house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the
spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armour,
and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his
house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah shewed them not. 14:
Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him,
What said these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And
Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country, even from Babylon.
15: And he said, What have they seen in thine house? And Hezekiah
answered, All the things that are in mine house have they seen: there
is nothing among my treasures that I have not shewed them. 16: And
Isaiah said unto Hezekiah, Hear the word of the LORD. 17: Behold, the
days come, that all that is in thine house,and that which thy fathers
have laid up in store unto this day, shall be carried into Babylon:
nothing shall be left, saith the LORD. 18: And of thy sons that shall
issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and
they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.
Hezekiah
dies
19: Then said
Hezekiah unto Isaiah, Good is the word of the LORD which thou hast
spoken. And he said, Is it not good, if peace and truth be in my
days? 20: And the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and all his might,
and how he made a pool, and a conduit, and brought water into the
city, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings
of Judah? 21: And Hezekiah slept with his fathers: and Manasseh his
son reigned in his stead.
After the captivity
of the northern kingdom the southern kingdom also declines into
idolatry which leads to the captivity of Babylon. First we have
Hezekiah the king of Judah and of Sennacherib the Assyrian king who
comes to besiege Jerusalem. But Isaiah comes to Hezekiah to give him
the word of the Lord. Then Sennacherib comes again to Jerusalem and
Isaiah reassures him again. Eventually the health of Hezekiah breaks
down and he dies. Hezekiah was 25 yrs old when he was crowned king of
Judah and he reigned for 29 yrs. He was a righteous king living
according to the law of the Lord as David his father had done. Be
reformed Israel destroying not only open idolatry but also secret
idol worship in the hills. He removed the high places, smashed the
idols and cut down the groves. Places of idol worship in the open
air. And he smashed into pieces the brass serpent that Moses had made
because the children of Israel had burnt incense to it. He put his
trust in the Lord – he was unique in this regard. None were like
him before or after him. He adhered himself to the LORD and never
forsook the Lord and he kept the commandments of the Lord. God was
with him in all he did and made all he did to prosper. He also
rebelled against the Assyrian king and refused to serve him. He also
went to war against the Philistines. After only 4 yrs Shalmaneser the
Assyrian king came to war against Samaria. It fell after three years.
Ten yrs later Sennacherib came from Assyria to threaten Jerusalem.
Hezekiah gave all the treasure of the temple – 39,000 lbs of silver
and 3,900 lbs of gold. He took the gold off the doors of the temple
and from the pillars to give to the Assyrian king. The Assyrian king
came and spoke to Hezekiah asking him who he was trusting in. He said
l have great military minds and a huge army who are you trusting in?
Are you trusting in Egypt a bruised read which if a man leans on it
will break? And if you say we trust in the LORD our God – isn’t
he the god that Hezekiah has destroyed in the land. He said l have
been sent by the LORD to destroy this land. Then he addressed the
people of Judah directly - in Hebrew. He sought to undermine
Hezekiah. The people refused to answer him. Hezekiah had commanded
that they do not answer or engage him in conversation. Hezekiah did
the right thing. He humbled himself before the Lord and went in to
speak to the Lord. And he sent a message to Isaiah saying this is a
day of trouble, rebuke and blaspheme because the babies are coming to
the time of birth and there is no strength to give birth. Maybe the
Lord will hear us and pray for us. Isaiah sent a message back saying
do not be afraid of the words of Rab-shakeh the spokesman of the
king, because l will send a blast on him and he will return to his
own country. And he will die there from the sword. Rab-shakeh
returned to find his king at war. Sennacherib came a second time to
Hezekiah telling him not to trust in the Lord, but Hezekiah put
everything before the Lord …
O LORD God of
Israel, who dwells between the cherubims, you are the God, you alone,
of all the kingdoms of the earth: you have made heaven and earth.
LORD, bow down your ear, and hear: open, LORD, your eyes, and see:
and hear the words of Sennacherib, who has come to reproach the
living God. It is true, LORD, the kings of Assyria have destroyed the
nations and their lands, And have cast their gods into the fire: for
they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone:
therefore they have destroyed them. Now therefore, O LORD our God, I
ask you, save us out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth
may know that you are the LORD God, and only you.
After this Isaiah
came again to Hezekiah to reassure him of Gods protection and
blessing. He said the LORD has heard your prayer. First the Lord
speaks of all that he has done and then he gives Hezekiah a sign and
a promise. The promise is that the Assyrian king will not come into
the city. I will defend this city for my own sake, to save it for
David’s sake. Then that night an angel of the LORD went out and
killed the Assyrians 185,000 and in the morning when the rest of them
woke up they found a great slaughter. Sennacherib left and never
returned. When he was worshipping in his idol temple his sons
murdered him with a sword and escaped to Armenia. Esar-haddon his
son, became king. After this Hezekiah became very sick and the
prophet Isaiah came to him saying put your affairs in order because
you will die. He turned toward the wall and prayed…
I ask you, O
LORD, remember now how I have walked before you in truth and with a
perfect heart, and have done that which is good in your sight.
And then he wept
bitterly. Then as Isaiah was still on his way out of the house the
LORD spoke to him again saying go and speak to Hezekiah telling him
that I have heard his prayer and seen his tears and l will heal him.
In three days he is to go to the temple and l will give him another
15 yrs of life. Then Isaiah said take a handful of figs and boil them
and with this Hezekiah recovered. And the Lord said can l make the
sun dial go forward or back ward? Hezekiah answered it is a small
thing for you to do this. Then Isaiah called on the Lord and the sun
dial went back ten degrees. Then Berodach-baladan king of Babylon,
sent letters and a present to Hezekiah because he had heard that he
was sick. And Hezekiah read them and shewed them all the house of his
precious things, the silver, gold, spices, the precious ointment, his
armour and all that was treasury He shewed them everything. Then
Isaiah came to Hezekiah saying why have you shown all these things to
these men? Then Isaiah said one day everything in your house will be
taken to Babylon. Hezekiah replied, the word of the Lord is good that
you have spoken. He said is it not a good thing is l have truth and
peace in my days? Hezekiah died. One of the things that Hezekiah did
was to bring water into the city – a great engineering feat.
- Tell the story of Hezekiah in these passages.
- What does the story of Hezekiah teach you?
- How did God bless him?
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